Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is a massive wilderness recreation area. Covering almost 3,500 square miles, this park is a national treasure and home to beautiful canyons, rivers, forests, hot springs, geysers and an array of wildlife. If all that wasn’t enough, the fishing can be amazing in the park as well.
Cutthroat trout, Arctic grayling, mountain whitefish and other native fishes are important to the ecology of Yellowstone, however, nonnative fish such as brook trout, brown trout, lake trout and rainbow trout have contributed to the decline of the park’s native fish populations. For the average angler, there isn’t too much concern about whether the fish are native to the park’s waters or not. They are more concerned about what they can catch, how many they can catch and if there are some big fish available too. This park is home to so many species of fish, but there are special fishing regulations that you have to follow while fishing in the park’s borders. Follow the rules and you can get enjoy some excellent fishing for a variety of trout species.
Livingston / Paradise Valley
Paradise Valley is located between Livingston, Montana and Yellowstone Park’s North Entrance in Gardiner. The valley is home to several small towns such as Emigrant, Chico, Pray and Pine Creek.
Livingston, Montana is the largest town and it is usually the base camp for most people who are looking to come to this area for a vacation. The surrounding mountain ranges provide some beautiful scenery and the Yellowstone River offers anglers very good fly fishing opportunities for trout. The town of Livingston has plenty of hotels, motels and other types of lodging to go along with some great shops and restaurants. The Yellowstone National Park is nearby which gives you lots of options for enjoying the outdoors.
Big Timber, MT
Big Timber is the county seat of Sweet Grass County in Montana. It is a small mountain town with beautiful scenery and plenty of outdoor recreation. Big Timber, Montana is the gateway to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and it is known for its excellent fishing. The Yellowstone and Boulder Rivers meet just outside the downtown area of Big Timber. Both rivers provide good fishing for trout. The Yellowstone River is one of the most famous trout fishing rivers in the west and there are several fishing guides that operate out of this part of Montana.
Billings, MT
Billings is the largest city in Montana. It is located in the south central part of the state and it has been growing rapidly. This city is popular among tourists because it offers many conveniences with nice hotels, restaurants and shopping, but it is also close to Yellowstone National Park. This area provides a nice balance for people looking to get away from the daily grind without leaving all of their conveniences behind.
There is plenty of water to fish here for a variety of different fish. Anglers target cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and whitefish here. Many anglers pursue brook trout in the smaller lakes around town.